Maya Angelou was a renowned poet, author, activist, and performer, best known for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), which was one of the first autobiographies by a Black woman to reach mainstream audiences. Her work focused on race, identity, resilience, and social justice.

Early Life & Challenges

• Born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri.
• Experienced racism and trauma in childhood, which deeply influenced her writing.
• Became mute for nearly five years after experiencing a traumatic assault, later regaining her voice through poetry and literature.

Career & Achievements

• Author: Wrote seven autobiographies, including The Heart of a Woman and All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes.
• Poet: Famous for poems like Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise, celebrating Black womanhood and resilience.
• Performer: Worked as a dancer, singer, and actor in the U.S. and abroad, including in Ghana, where she befriended Malcolm X.
• Civil Rights Activist: Worked with both Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., helping to organize civil rights movements.
• Educator & Speaker: Became a professor at Wake Forest University and recited her poem On the Pulse of Morning at Bill Clinton’s 1993 presidential inauguration, making her the second poet in U.S. history to do so.

Legacy

• Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2011.
• A trailblazer in literature, she paved the way for Black women’s voices in mainstream publishing.
• Her work continues to inspire generations with themes of strength, love, and justice.